Figure 1: Diagram of Usenet File Flow
for an overview of the entire file upload and download "cycle". It shows a hypothetical file going from the poster's computer to their news server, then
to your computer.

Newsgroups
(or Usenet, as they are collectively known) are a veritable Amazon
River of information and goodies that flows 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, 365 days a year.

The
Usenet is sometimes called the "underground internet" because the
Usenet is not as widely used as is the World Wide Web, although it does
pre-date the WWW and is one of the older parts of the internet.
However, the Usenet is not point-and-click like the WWW.

Generally,
you will need to use a "newsreader" instead of a web browser to view
it, although you can use a browser to view, post to and search the
Usenet. In fact, Google Groups (formerly Dejanews) is a html archive of
non-Usenet posts from about the 10 years or so. There are some
more recent innovations that are bringing the Usenet to the web
however, most of these are restricted to providing an index of what is
currently available in the groups.

Usenet
consists of a decentralized network of computers (news servers) that
allows people around the world to share information. More than 10,000
new binaries are posted every day.

The
basic concept behind usenet groups is that people "post" or
upload files to a newsgroup. The type of digital material
uploaded to the Usenet includes personal photographs and video
and open source software. The material is posted to
be shared
with friends or
with loosely associated groups of like minded people. Sometimes you
really have to wonder as some of the regular contributors really do
contribute so much that it must be a full-time job.

It
won't take long before you get the hang of software required to read
newsgroups, download, decode files and store them on your hard
drive, finally viewing, playing or using digital material from
newsgroups. If it sounds complicated, its not so bad but you will have
to understand the basics of file management, system configuration,
software installation, etc.

Afterwards,
you will feel like you are a true participant in the technological
revolution and you will join the small percentage of people who
regularly use the Usenet and you will finally have a good reason
for a faster computer and broadband access!

Ironically,
even though the newsgroups are largely officially unregulated, there
are rules and codes of conduct that are upheld within newsgroups as you
may discover if you do something contrary to a particular group's rules
and you are flamed by 30 people much more knowledgable than you (irony
and sarcasism all in one sentence!)

Usenet
is here to stay!

It
is pretty hard to imagine shutting down the Usenet or
sue a newsgroup. A particular ISP could decide to remove a newsgroup
from their server, but their customers would probably complain. In
addition, you could also just buy access to commericial newsservers
specializing in usenet groups.

alt.binaries.warez.quebec-hackers
- variety of video, music and software

Adult
material probably accounts for easily one-third of the newsgroups and
at least as much of the content. The adult entertainment industry has
been a driving force in the world wide web and it should be no surprise
that it is a large part of the Usenet and newsgroups.

There
is, unfortunately, still child pornography distributed
via Usenet. If you
encounter any such material, do not download, share or view it and
please consider reporting it to Cybertip.ca
in Canada, or the FBI in
the USA, or to your particular
country's relevant enforcement agency.